It could be lights out in the coming months for a population of deer co-existing with some city residents.

City Commissioners discussed and postponed decision of approving a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services for lethal removal of a rising nuisance deer population in southwest Mount Pleasant.

For neighborhood residents near Veits Woods and Chipp-A-Waters Park , damage to landscaping, discovery of deer droppings and numerous close-calls between deer and vehicles is cause enough to implement some form of safe and lethal removal of deer.

“It’s been a problem for that neighborhood. It’s really obvious when you look at where that neighborhood sits,” said City Manager Kathie Grinzinger. “Part of it is that it’s so easy in the city parks. There’s no hunting. There’s a tremendous amount of food supply because you have all the low growing shrubs and stuff.”

The Southwest Association of Neighbors is the body to experience the negative results of the increasing deer population.

Tom Moffit, SWAN president, said what was estimated by city officials to be just a few troublesome deer is probably closer to 100, and that despite past attempts to approach the issue, it has gotten steadily worse.

“We think the number of deer that were counted is sadly undercounted,” he said. “Those of us in the area can recognize the fact we have herds of deer, 10, 15 at a time running through our back yards.”

USDA Wildlife Services, along with Mount Pleasant’s department of public safety, recommended the use of sharpshooters to control the deer population. Two visits from these shooters at $4,000 each would remove 10 to 15 animals, if eventually approved.

Commissioner Sharon Tilmann said she understood that there might be a safe record in other communities with sharpshooters using guns to kill deer inside city limits, but is concerned over the safety and legal matters of the situation.

“I have to tell you, it kind of makes me cringe,” she said. “I wonder our insurance carrier, what their take on this is. Where is the liability? Sharpshooters may be sharpshooters, but they could miss.”

Given that any harvest of hired sharpshooters would not begin until the appropriate hunting season roles around, commissioners decided to utilize their time to better understand the issue and to make a decision at a future meeting.

metro@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Jackie Smith